Universities in Nashville, USA
- Rankings & Reviews -

For business studies see our separate ranking of business schools in Nashville, USA

Latest ranking updates related to universities in Nashville
  • 06 Mar, 2024: Latest Scimago Institutions Rankings from Scimago Institutions. 3 universities from Nashville appear in this ranking.
  • 25 Jan, 2024: Publication of THE World’s Most International Universities. Vanderbilt University ranked #146.
  • 19 Dec, 2023: Publication of URAP World Ranking - University Ranking by Academic Performance. Vanderbilt University with highest ranking among universities in Nashville ranked #112.
  • 05 Dec, 2023: Publication of QS World University Rankings: Sustainability. Vanderbilt University ranked #497.

Nashville, otherwise known as Music City, is a city famous for its love of country and blues music, so unsurprisingly the city puts on a lot of music festivals every year, and there are plenty of performance venues throughout the city.

Besides a love for music, Nashville also offers a total of 10 universities to choose from, with a great mix of public, private, research, and Christian institutions that are sure to suit the needs of many different kinds of students.


Rankings of universities in Nashville, USA 2024

  • #35 
  • #92 
THE World University Rankings
[Published 27 September, 2023]
  • #15 
  • #15 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #49 
  • #261 
QS World University Rankings
[Published 27 June, 2023]
Show 31 more rankings of Vanderbilt University and subject specific rankings for 10 subjects

  • #279 
  • #1794 
Scimago Institutions Rankings
[Published 06 March, 2024]
  • #1216 
  • #1275 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #416 
  • #395 
US News Best National Universities
[Published 17 September, 2023]
Show 4 more rankings of Tennessee State University and subject specific rankings for 3 subjects

#3
USA

Meharry Medical College

Student satisfaction: 4.6 / 5.0 (based on 90 student ratings)
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  • #260 
  • #1636 
Scimago Institutions Rankings
[Published 06 March, 2024]
  • #319 
  • #2784 
URAP World Ranking - University Ranking by Academic Performance
[Published 19 December, 2023]
  • #502 
  • #2598 
Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
[Published 31 July, 2023]


Student satisfaction: 5.0 / 5.0 (based on 194 student ratings)
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  • #964 
  • #1004 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #380 
  • #382 
US News Best National Universities
[Published 17 September, 2023]
  • #377 
  • #382 
Washington Monthly - National Universities
[Published 28 August, 2022]
Show 2 more rankings of Trevecca Nazarene University and subject specific rankings for 2 subjects

  • #836 
  • #868 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #146 
  • #146 
US News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges
[Published 27 October, 2023]
  • #920 
  • #957 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (All Alumni)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
Show 1 more rankings of Fisk University

Student satisfaction: 4.6 / 5.0 (based on 67 student ratings)
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  • #1215 
  • #1271 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #154 
  • #156 
US News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges
[Published 27 October, 2023]
  • #1037 
  • #1088 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (All Alumni)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
Show 1 more rankings of Aquinas College

#7
USA

Welch College

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  • #1583 
  • #10173 
Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities
[Published 31 July, 2023]

  • #487 
  • #401 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #800 
  • #830 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #238 
  • #236 
US News Best National Universities
[Published 17 September, 2023]
Show 6 more rankings of Lipscomb University

  • #449 
  • #401 
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings
[Published 14 September, 2021]
  • #999 
  • #1041 
Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only)
[Published 11 November, 2021]
  • #234 
  • #236 
US News Best National Universities
[Published 17 September, 2023]
Show 6 more rankings of Belmont University and subject specific rankings for 3 subjects

#10
USA

Watkins College of Art, Design & Film

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Highest subject rankings of universities in Nashville

Education GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#2 
Vanderbilt University
Law GRAS Global Ranking of Academic Subjects - ShanghaiRanking
#16 
Vanderbilt University
Entrepreneurship The Princeton Review: Top 50 Undergraduate Schools for Entrepreneurship
#30 
Belmont University
Engineering Payscale College Salary Report - Best Schools by Majors
#38 
Vanderbilt University
Psychology THE World University Rankings by Subject
#41 
Vanderbilt University
Computer Science Payscale College Salary Report - Best Schools by Majors
#73 
Vanderbilt University
Medicine QS World University Rankings By Subject
#78 
Vanderbilt University
Chemistry NTU Rankings by Subject
#168 
Vanderbilt University
Mathematics QS World University Rankings By Subject
#251 
Vanderbilt University
Agriculture URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
#703 
Vanderbilt University

Student Opinions About Studying in Nashville

“Nashville has some serious traffic issues, mainly as a consequence of the public transport here being quite ineffective. Living here without a car would mean you wouldn’t get as much out of the city as you otherwise would.”

“As an international student who moved to Nashville to study at Vanderbilt University, I’ve always felt that the locals here are very open and welcoming to foreigners, which is something I was worried about before I arrived, but I realized and appreciate that they treat international students with a lot of respect."

“The parking in Nashville is brutally expensive, with the rates being around $20 per hour in some areas. This is especially unfortunate because most people are using cars, which means there’s almost never street parking and you have to use paid parking. Always try to leave the car at home if you can!”

Nashville Key Facts for International Students

PROS

  • Nashville has a strong reputation for being a city of music, with a nightlife scene that offers everything from live music, to noisy bars, to relaxing lounges where you can have conversations without shouting. Some favourites among the locals include the Villager Tavern, and the Fox Bar & Cocktail Club.

  • The city offers very realistic and fair rental prices for its apartments, with an average rental rate of $1,450 for a 2-bedroom apartment. You can make this even more affordable by sharing with a roommate, and being strategic about which neighbourhood you want to live in.

  • The cost of living in Nashville is calculated to be more affordable than in almost 70% of US cities, which means you should have some cash left over after expenses to catch some of the concerts that Nashville loves to host!

CONS

  • The public transport is very limited in Nashville, with just a bus service known as WeGO. The routes covered by the bus service don’t cover as much of the city.

  • Unemployment statistics are low for Nashville, but the way these statistics have been calculated excludes people who have given up looking for work, which can easily be misleading. Many residents in Nashville agree that it’s difficult to find entry-level jobs here, because there are a few, and the competition for them is high.

  • Newcomers should start looking for their apartments well in advance, because good housing gets taken very quickly in Nashville. On the bright side, the rent is well below the national average.


9 out of 10 Universities in Nashville Ranked in at least one ranking

36 Different Rankings list Universities in Nashville (28 institution and 8 subject rankings)

27 Global Rankings rank Universities in Nashville Among TOP 200

Population: 690000

Elevation: 170 m. above sea level

Time: GMT -6

District/province: Tennessee, Davidson County

Living costs for students in Nashville:

* 100 = prices in London

  • Living costs without accommodation 84* (16% cheaper than London)
  • All costs including accommodation 75* (25% cheaper than London)
  • Meals (grocery & lower cost restaurants) 79* (21% cheaper than London)
  • Average Big Mac price 5.15 US$
  • Plug Type A
    • Residential voltage: 120 V
    • Frequency: 60 Hz
  • Plug Type B
    • Residential voltage: 120 V
    • Frequency: 60 Hz

Map with location of universities in Nashville

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FAQ

Vanderbilt University ranks #1 in Nashville in our meta ranking composed of 112 university rankings.

Among all universities in Nashville Vanderbilt University is listed in the largest number of rankings. See all 45 rankings where Vanderbilt University is listed.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Education (Education). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Law (Law). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Belmont University is ranked best in Nashville for Business (Entrepreneurship). See all rankings for the Belmont University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Engineering (Engineering). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Social Studies & Humanities (Psychology). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Computer Science (Computer Science). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Medicine & Health (Medicine). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Natural Sciences (Chemistry). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Mathematics (Mathematics). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Vanderbilt University is ranked best in Nashville for Agriculture (Agriculture). See all rankings for the Vanderbilt University.

Ranking publishers

4icu

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British Quacquarelli Symonds, UK

Criteria used in ranking -QS World University Rankings:

Academic Reputation 40% Employer Reputation 10% Faculty/Student Ratio 20% Citations per faculty 20% International Faculty Ratio 5% International Student Ratio 5%

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Criteria used in ranking -QS Employability Rankings:

Employer reputation 30% Alumni outcomes 25% Partnerships with Employers per Faculty 25% Employer/Student Connections 10% Graduate employment rate 10%

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CWUR Center for World University Rankings

Criteria used in ranking -CWUR Center for World University Rankings:

Research Performance: 40%

  • Research Output: 10%
  • High-Quality Publications: 10%
  • Influence: 10%
  • Citations: 10%

Quality of Education: 25%

Alumni Employment: 25%

Quality of Faculty: 10%

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Centre for Science and Technology Studies, Leiden University, Netherlands

Criteria used in ranking -CWTS Leiden Ranking:

Scientific Impact Number of Publications Collaboration Open Access Gender Diversity

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Forbes

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Kiplinger

Criteria used in ranking -Kiplinger's Best College Values:

Quality Criteria 55% Cost Criteria 45%

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MONEY

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Criteria used in ranking -MONEY Best Colleges in America, ranked by value:

Quality of education 33.33% Affordability 33.33% Outcomes 33.33%

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NTU ranking

Criteria used in ranking -NTU Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers:

Research Productivity: 25%

  • # Articles last 11 years: 10%
  • # Articles current year: 15%

Research Impact: 35%

  • # Citations last 11 years: 15%
  • # Citations last 2 years: 10%
  • Average # citations last 11 years: 10%

Research Excellence: 40%

  • H-index last 2 years: 10%
  • # Highly cited papers last 11 years: 15%
  • # Articles current year in high-impact journals: 15%

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Nature Index

Criteria used in ranking -Nature Index - Academic:

Article count (AC) Fractional count (FC) Weighted fractional count (WFC)

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Payscale

Criteria used in ranking -Payscale College Salary Report - Best Universities (Bachelors only):

Ranking is based on ROI

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RUR Ranking Agency (Moscow, Russia)

Criteria used in ranking -RUR World University Rankings:

Teaching: 40%

  • Ratio Faculty/Student: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Faculty/Doctoral Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • Ratio Doctoral Degrees Awarded/Bachelor Degrees Awarded: 8%
  • World Teaching Reputation: 8%

Research: 40%

  • Citations per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • Doctoral Degrees per Accepted PhD: 8%
  • Normalized Citation Impact: 8%
  • Papers per Academic/Research Staff: 8%
  • World Research Reputation: 8%

International Diversity: 10%

  • International Faculty: 2%
  • International Students: 2%
  • International Co-Authored Papers: 2%
  • Reputation Outside Geographical Region: 2%
  • International Level: 2%

Financial Sustainability: 10%

  • Institutional Income per Faculty: 2%
  • Institutional Income per Student: 2%
  • Papers per Research Income: 2%
  • Research Income per Academic/Research Staff: 2%
  • Research Income per Institutional Income: 2%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR Academic Rankings:

Normalized citation impact (Citations of research publications from all university authors compared with world averages) 20% Citation per papers 20% Papers per academic and research staff 20% International research reputation 20% Share of research publications written in international co-authorship 20%

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Criteria used in ranking -RUR Reputation Ranking:

Teaching Reputation 50% Research Reputation 50%

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Scimago Institutions

Criteria used in ranking -Scimago Institutions Rankings:

Research 50% Innovation 30%
Societal 20%

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ShanghaiRanking Consultancy

Criteria used in ranking -ARWU Academic Ranking of World Universities - ShanghaiRanking:

Quality of Education 10%

  • Alumni winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 10%

Quality of Faculty 40%

  • Staff winning Nobel Prizes/Field Medals 20%
  • Highly Cited Researchers 20%

Research Output 40%

  • Papers published in Nature and Science 20%
  • Papers indexed in Science Citation Index-Expanded & Social Science Citation Index 20%

Per Capita Performance 10%

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StuDocu

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THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings:

30% Teaching (the Learning Environment)

  • Reputation survey: 15%
  • Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%
  • Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2.25%
  • Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 6%
  • Institutional income: 2.25%

30% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)

  • Reputation survey: 18%
  • Research income: 6%
  • Research productivity: 6%

30% Citations (Research Influence)

7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)

  • Proportion of international students: 2.5%
  • Proportion of international staff: 2.5%
  • International collaboration: 2.5%

2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)"

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Criteria used in ranking -THE Global Employability University Ranking:

Employability (survey) 100%

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Criteria used in ranking -THE World Reputation Rankings:

Research Reputation 66,6% Teaching Reputation 33,3%

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Criteria used in ranking -THE World’s Most International Universities:

Proportion of international students 25% Proportion of international staff 25% Proportion of journal publications with one or more international co-authors 25% University’s international reputation 25%

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The Princeton Review

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Thomson Reuters

Criteria used in ranking -Reuters Most Innovative Universities:

Patent Volume 33% Patent Citations 34% Industry Article Citation Impact 11% Percent of Industry Collaborative Articles 11% Total Web of Science Core Collection Papers 11%

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Urap

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Us News

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Wallstreet Journal USA & THE Times Higher Education, UK

Criteria used in ranking -Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education US College Rankings:

Outcomes 40% (employability) Resources 30% Engagement 20% (teaching) Environment 10% (diversity)

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Washington Monthly

Criteria used in ranking -Washington Monthly - National Universities:

Social Mobility 33.33%
Research 33.33%
Community and National Service 33.33%

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Webometrics

Criteria used in ranking -Webometrics Ranking Web of Universities:

Visibility 50% Excellence 35% Transparency 10% Presence 5%

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